


A Near Miss

by snowbryneich



Category: Pirates of the Caribbean (Movies), Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 06:57:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,475
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8391688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowbryneich/pseuds/snowbryneich
Summary: For the prompt  #15 I Hope We Don’t Get Caught Kiss - missing scene set during Curse of the Black Pearl





	

James had stayed on deck until near the end of the middle watch. There was no reason to suspect that anything else was likely to go amiss but with Jack Sparrow in the brig, he felt the need to be on high alert. He had left Elizabeth in her father’s care and given then the cabin’s they had had for the crossing.

He had not yet spoken to Elizabeth about the fact she fled the Dauntless to the pirate’s treasure cave. Or about the odd state of the pirates – and the fact she had known and had waited to say so.

It seemed like there was rather a lot that was unsaid between them – it did not seem an auspicious start to an engagement. But he was comforted by her words. A request, not a condition, she had said and that his answer would not change hers. Some part of him could not help but doubt it though that smacked of calling her liar which he could not countenance even in his own head. He had known she would blame herself for Will Turner’s fate if he not agreed to the rescue though of course none of this was her fault.

 

It was a shock then to return to his own cabin at the end of the watch to find his fiancé asleep in his trestle bed, her golden hair tousled around her head as she seemed well settled. She still wore the uniform he had found her but had removed the jacket – she appeared to be using it as a pillow as if that made her invasion of his bed less intrusive. Her slim legs were stretched out in the breeches that left little to the imagination and the thin cotton of her shirt seemed paper thin in the lamp light. She stirred in her sleep and made a small snuffling noise that James found rather adorable. And it was easier to focus on that than panic at just what she was doing.

He set down the lamp and brushed a bit of golden hair from her face hoping that would wake her without being too imposing. She smacked his hand away and grumbled and only then did she seem to blink awake – her wide dark eyes seeming luminous in the lamp light. “Oh,” she said. “Hello James,”

“Elizabeth, what _are you_ doing?” James almost immediately regretted sounding so harsh – especially as her face fell at his query.

“I wanted to see you,” she said guilelessly sitting up and swinging her bare feet to the deck. “I did not think you would be so long – surely you are long past being assigned the middle watch.”

“I wanted to make sure all was well,” he said – how long had she been here exactly. “Will your father not be mad with worry.”

“Father had a few snifters of brandy to calm his nerves and will not wake for hours,” she said. “I rather put him through the mill I think.” There was a note of regret then and James wanted all at once to tell her it was not her fault and to feel relieved that she had at least some regard for her father’s feeling.

“It has been rather nerve-wracking for him,” James acknowledged. “But he does not blame you, Elizabeth – he has never been more relieved than when we found you.”

 

“Hmm,” Elizabeth said, her tone cheeky. “I think he may have been more relieved when I accepted you.”

James flushed – her father had been pleased. More pleased than Elizabeth had seemed, which it would be easy for him to dwell on. “Well if you are found here that relief will be short-lived,” he told her firmly. “Please let me escort you back to your cabin.”

“Oh, what difference can it make,” Elizabeth said crossly nearly stamping her foot. “I was alone all night in my underwear with a notorious pirate – how can be fully dressed in my fiancé’s company be any worse.”

“Elizabeth!” James said exasperated and trying desperately not to let her see he was amused. “You know very well why. Your escape from one scandal is not a reason to invite another.”

“Well then I should go back to my cabin alone,” Elizabeth said pointedly. “I cannot imagine my being escorted anywhere by you in the middle of the night will be taken entirely innocently.”

 

James was not about to let her go wandering about deck – it was inviting trouble with any of the more superstitious men and besides which if he did not take her back to the cabin he had no confidence she would actually go. Like as not he would wake in the morning to find she’d taken over the helm or decided to climb into the crow’s nest. And then he would have that to deal with and he’d have to explain himself to her father. “We will just have to take that chance,” he said firmly offering her his arm. She took it with a sigh. “You had very little to say,” he said. “Seeing as you came to see me.”

“It hardly matters what I have to say does it?” Elizabeth said mutinously barely holding to his arm – James had not brought the lamp – he knew the Dauntless decks well enough to guide her without a light and he really did not want extra attention. He stopped her there though in the dark

“Of course it matters,” he said. “Why would you say that?” Had he not made it clear how much her wishes mattered. He was beginning to doubt what she had said about her answer for all he did not want to.

But she merely stopped in the dark to stare at him though what she could see in the dark he was not sure. He could just about make out her features because it was so dark, her eyes shining in the little light there was. “Do you really mean that,” she said.

 

But before James could assure her that of course, he did mean it there was the clear ringing of the ships bells as it rang out eight bells. He pulled her to one side into a notch in the bulkhead and felt flooded with guilt and arousal at the feel of her pressed against him as the officers of the morning watch emerged from their cabins. Elizabeth stood on her tiptoe and pressed her lips against her ear. “This will look very bad,” she said her voice the merest whisper which was still more noise than was strictly necessary. He pressed a finger to her lips seriously and then tried not to react to the soft feel of her lips. Elizabeth pressed a kiss to his finger and this close to her he could tell her father was not the only one who had had been liberal with their brandy consumption. The officers were gone now and Elizabeth glanced over his shoulder as if she might bolt.

“There are still the officers coming off duty,” he reminded her desperately, speaking as quietly as he could. “I am sorry if you are uncomfortable.”

“I don’t think I’m the one who is uncomfortable,” Elizabeth said her mouth against his neck so he could hear her words vibrate against his skin as she adds suggestively. “You did not need to use your hand to silence me.”

 

She opened her mouth to say something else just as the clatter of boots made it clear there was there was no room for further discussion and James took her hint at face value and bent to kiss her in the dark swallowing her small squawk of surprise. Though once he had kissed her she responded eagerly holding tightly to his uniform coat and kissing back clumsily but enthusiastically. She tastes of brandy and her hair smells of the sea. It was everything James had ever dreamed kissing Elizabeth would be and more because for all her inexperience she was kissing him back quite keenly. But this was wrong and he was taking advantage and he tried to pull away after a long moment marshalling all his self-control. The officers had cleared away now and they were alone.

“Elizabeth I think we are safe now,” he said. “This is,” wonderful he thought though he managed to keep that to himself, “very improper,” he finished. “I should take you back to your cabin.”

Elizabeth sighed but allowed him to guide her there and he bid her a goodnight feeling really rather awful he had taken advantage. Elizabeth seemed to realise his feelings. “Do not look so glum, James. It is not as if we were caught.” Then she pressed a kiss to his cheek and shut the door in his face as he realised he still had no idea what she wanted to talk to him about.


End file.
